Keplercam Remote Observing using VNC

The recommended method is the TightVNC server and viewer system. If you use a linux machine on the CF system, see below for the calling syntax. If you use a Windows machine, VNC is available for download at the TightVNC link. If you use a Mac, try Chicken of the VNC.

Setup

1. From "yourmachine" at your remote location (normally a CF machine in Cambridge, although home observing with high-speed internet has also been successfully), you may need to do this:

    xhost + flwo48.sao.arizona.edu

   and then:
   

    ssh into flwo48 as observer

2. Check to see if vncserver is running on flwo48; type:

    ps auxw | grep vnc

   If it returns something like this:

    observer  1302  0.0  1.6 4648 3936 ?   S 11:42:57  0:02 Xvnc :2 -desktop X
   

   then you are good to go! If it returns nothing, make sure it's not there and type:

    vncserver -kill :2

   Then type

    govnc

   (an alias) to start a new server.

   Note: You may need to wait a minute or so between killing and starting a new vncserver, to allow for its port to be released.

3. Next, exit the original ssh window on flwo48.
4. Finally, if you are using linux, in any xterm on "yourmachine", type:

   /data/oiropt/bin/vncviewer -shared flwo48.sao.arizona.edu:2 
   

   Note: without the -shared flag, any other running display is killed, please use it.
   If you are not using linux, the appropriate invocation for your OS. We strongly recommend TightVNC, which has the best compression and is faster than other VNC flavors, such as the default on the CF machines.

Observing

If both you and the sky are ready, ask the remote observer to enable the telescope drives if necessary; you should open the mirror covers and the dome slit using the new Telshell commands, and if necessary turn up the gain of the guide camera. You control the gain with the slider on the ntcs GUI, but first you must click on the remote gain ON button (OFF when done).